And What About THIS One?
by violet-phoenix-rose
Summary: Five times the Sorting Hat really had trouble. For a challenge.


Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: for the Five Things challenge. Five times the Sorting Hat really had trouble...

---

In the thousand years or so of its existence, the Sorting Hat had assigned over fifty thousand students. Only five, however, were extremely hard to place...

---

**1. Andromeda Black - 1965**

_Another Black_, the Hat thought. As a matter of principle, since they WERE one of the oldest pureblood families, all Black children were put into Slytherin. This girl was different, though. Instead of the cool arrogance and pride of her older sister, she had more of a gentle disposition, and such a thing was almost unheard of in the old families.

_Where to place her?_ the Hat wondered. She wasn't Gryffindor material, that was for sure, and she wasn't smart enough to be a Ravenclaw. The balance hung between Hufflepuff and Slytherin, between where she should be and family tradition. _Bella's going to kill me if I'm not in Slytherin_, Andromeda thought, and the Hat made up its mind.

"SLYTHERIN!" it shouted.

---

**2. Nymphadora Tonks - 1984**

As the Hat was placed on a pink-haired girl, it realized it was going to have a lot of trouble. Morphs were common enough - one or two every ten years - but most of them wanted to blend in. This girl wasn't normal, and that was going to be a problem.

_This won't end well_, the Hat thought. Her mother's family was always in Slytherin, but that House was never good to girls like her. Similarly, Ravenclaw was out of the running - the girl simply wasn't that type at all! Gryffindor also went out the window when the Hat realized that the girl wasn't overly defensive. There was only one House left to put her in, the House that got all the kids that didn't fit anywhere else.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the Hat shouted, hoping it had just Sorted its last impossible-to-place student, not just for that year but EVER.

---

**3. Percy Weasley - 1987**

_Another one?!?_ the Hat had wondered. Until 20-odd years beforehand, it had never had trouble. Now it was dealing with its second unusual student in four years! At least this one had a legacy to follow if all else failed - Weasleys were always in Gryffindor, since they never seemed to have nearly enough common sense.

The problem with this boy wasn't that he didn't fit anywhere. Instead, the Hat was dealing with a kid who would excel no matter WHERE he went! Hufflepuff was easiest to rule out - whatever the boy was, loyalty was not one of his traits. Now it was a three way tie between Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Gryffindor, between brains, cunning, and bravery. There was no way to decide, other than letting the family legacy continue.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat yelled, wondering what on Earth it had just done.

---

**4. Hermione Granger - 1991**

In the nearly one thousand years of the Hat's existence, it had never had the tiniest bit of trouble Sorting a Muggle-born. They were always less complicated than half-bloods and less biased than pure-bloods, which made things so much easier. But now, placed on a mousy girl, the Hat was having some serious trouble.

Slytherin was quickly ruled out - no Muggle-borns had gone there in 300 years, and this girl wasn't good enough to break that. Hufflepuff wasn't an option either; she'd be bored out of her wits in three days flat. It was Gryffindor or Ravenclaw for the girl, and she'd do equally well in either. This time, however, the Hat had a certain instinct.

"GRYFFINDOR!" it called, wondering where that bizarre instinct had come from.

---

**5. Luna Lovegood - 1992**

_You are one strange case_, the Hat said to the serene, perfectly calm girl. Indeed, she was unlike any student who ever had or ever would walk the halls of Hogwarts. She was slightly crazy or, to use a Muggle phrase, mostly harmless. The Hat was in for a real headache.

Hufflepuff was vetoed immediately - the girl's beliefs in all sorts of strange creatures would probably scare the students in that House. Slytherins would have the opposite reaction, and the girl would be scarred for life within a week. Now the balance lay between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Was this girl an observer or a fighter?

"RAVENCLAW!" the Hat yelled, proud for once of where the latest strange case had gone.

---

A/N: The line that the Hat says to Luna ('You are one strange case') is from another fic. Unfortunantely, I can't remember the name of it - sorry!


End file.
